Charting a New Course in Cancer Care
Despite advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, access to high-quality cancer care continues to be challenging for some patients in the United States, especially those in vulnerable and underserved communities. The burden of cancer falls disproportionately on some segments of the U.S. population, including racial and ethnic minorities; low-income, uninsured and underinsured populations; and rural populations.
For people newly diagnosed with cancer, the health care system can be challenging and overwhelming. The delivery of cancer care is often fragmented and poorly coordinated, and patients often face barriers to receiving timely and patient-centered care. ²,³
In a landmark 2013 publication, Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care: Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued recommendations to improve the delivery of cancer care in the United States. The IOM called for strengthening patient-centered care and reducing disparities in care for vulnerable and underserved populations.
In response to this unmet need, the Merck Foundation (the Foundation) funded the Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care (the Alliance) with a $15 million commitment through 2021. The Alliance is a multi-site initiative that aims to increase timely access to patient-centered care and reduce disparities in cancer care for vulnerable and underserved populations in the United States.
Take a look at the 2019 Alliance Backgrounder which highlights the progress of each of the six grantee sites.
Patient-centered care: Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensures that patient values guide all clinical decisions. 4
- Georgia Cancer Center for Excellence at Grady Health System (Atlanta, Ga.)
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, Md.)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center (Boston, Mass.)
- Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago, Ill.)
- Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (Columbus, Ohio)
- The University of Arizona Cancer Center (Tucson, Ariz.)
The Alliance aims to:
- Promote evidence-based, multifaceted interventions to improve the delivery of cancer care
- Reduce disparities in access to high-quality cancer care for vulnerable and underserved populations
- Improve patient outcomes, including satisfaction with care and quality of life
- Build sustainable community partnerships that advance patient-centered cancer care
- Disseminate key findings and lessons learned to promote best practices in patient-centered cancer care
INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
The Alliance programs will work to implement interventions in these areas critical to improving patient-centered care:- Improve coordination of cancer care and integration with primary care and other specialty care
- Enhance patient and provider communication and patient engagement in care
- Empower patients to actively engage in their health care and treatment planning
- Offer psychosocial care and other supportive care for patients and their families
References
- American Cancer Society. (2016). Cancer Facts and Figures, 2016.
http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2016/ - American Society for Clinical Oncology. (2016). The State of Cancer Care in America, 2016. http://www.asco.org/practice-research/state-cancer-care-america-2016
- Institute of Medicine. (2013). Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care:
Charting a New Course for a System in Crisis. http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2013/delivering-high-quality-cancer-care-charting-anew-course-for-a-system-in-crisis.aspx - Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. Institute of Medicine. Crossing the
Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press, 2001.